In a stunning Sicilian village, Father Antonio (Maurice Chevalier) speaks to the audience through the fourth wall, telling us all about his village. We understand that the town consists of hard-working people who never nap during the day (well, unless it’s during a church service!). Everything within the village was fine and perfect until ‘she’ came along.
Father Antonio is referring to the new midwife in town, Jessica (Angie Dickinson). While Jessica is there to work, the men are hopelessly distracted when they are in her presence. Even their businesses are on a downward curve. The people of Sicily have no idea why Jessica picked their town to work in, and rumours have it that she’s a widow, having lost her husband on her wedding day. As Jessica continues to go about her work, the women within the community begin to work together and plot to find new ways of keeping Jessica away from their husbands.
Jessica can best be described as a romance and drama film directed by Jean Negulesco and Oreste Palella. The setting of this film is excellent. We often see characters in beautiful locations and homes in Sicily, giving viewers a new experience just through the locations alone. The costumes are also great, not just for the lead character, Jessica, but for the many other characters as well.
The story of Jessica, however, is filled with many eye-rolling moments. It revolves around a fun concept where one woman makes significant changes to a village with little effort, but the outcomes are either silly or foolish. The villagers often make immature choices, resembling behaviour that is more fitting for a school setting. Gossip and behind-the-scenes bullying is prevalent, and instead of blaming or confronting their husbands, the women in the town direct their frustration over their strained relationships towards Jessica. Unfortunately, Jessica often makes poor choices in response to their actions. The romantic subplot, involving a wealthy lone wolf (Gabriele Ferzetti), feels uninteresting and is underdeveloped and forgettable. The performances are mediocre, and the characters lack depth and interest. I found various moments of the comedy to be over-the-top, including throughout the film’s opening, where Father Antonio raises his concerns.
Overall, Jessica is a classic film set in beautiful Sicily, and I immensely enjoyed the costuming for the lead and many of the side characters, too. However, its odd plot direction and character choices are disappointing and silly. The comedy falls short, and the romance feels forced with forgettable outcomes. The characters make baffling choices and behave like schoolchildren, plotting schemes and gossiping. While Jessica herself may be charming, the film has the opposite effect.
Jessica (1962) is now available on Blu-ray, thanks to Imprint Films & Via Vision Entertainment!
4.1/10
22nd September 2024
Written by Peter Walkden
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